What's she Worth to You?

Puppet on a String

E R I N

I check my watch and sigh. 3:55. It's almost four in the morning. I walk through the doors of Naya's room and my shoulders drop.
Brooke sits in the chair beside her bed, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Babe," I whisper and she looks up. I'm not sure she even knew I walked in. I kneel down next to her and grab her hand.
"You really need to go to sleep." She shakes her head, still trying to wake herself up.

"No, I-I need to stay. I wanna be here when she wakes up."

"Well," I exhale and brush her hair out of her face.
"That may be a while." She shrugs.

"I don't want her to wake up alone," she whispers and I smile at her.

"That's really sweet, Brooke. But she wouldn't want you miserable and tired." She yawns as her eyes fall closed, yet she throws them back open, then sighs, nodding in defeat.

"Okay," she breathes out, but slumps back into her chair. I laugh quietly, knowing that she's not leaving unless I take her. I pull her body from the chair and hold her in my arms like a baby.

"Okay, sweet girl," I whisper, even though she definitely can't hear me. She's already way past fast asleep.
"I need to get you home."

•••••••

Jay greets me at the doors and smiles at Brooke, placing a hand on her face and kissing her forehead gently.

"Hey," I whisper and he looks up.
"I'm thinking we should bring the girls home." He nods at my statement, then glances over my shoulder at Noah. I nod, understanding his point.
"Yeah, I got her." He holds his arms out and we do the transfer. I place Brooke in his arms and he head slightly bobs to the side. She nuzzles her head closer to his chest and he smiles down at her. I look back and smile at him, slightly surprised at how transfixed he is.

He's so completely in love with her.

I gently shake Noah and she sits up quickly, looking around in a panic, her breaths staggery.

"Hey, Noah, it's just me." She catches a breath and gets ahold of herself, her eyelids slowly falling back closed. I laugh and carefully pull her body into my arms.

Gosh, she's so skinny...

Jay and I exchange a look.

"Where is home, exactly?" I ask and Jay gives me a charming smile.

"We could always go to my apartment." A happy smile falls over my lips and I can't stop it.

"Just like old times, huh?" He nods, pulling out the phone the precinct had lent him after they heard what happened. He calls the lady who lives across the street who lent us her car where we'd be going. He then hangs up and nods towards the door.

He lays Brooke down across the backseat and I bring Noah to the front, laying her head against my chest and putting her feet over on Jay's lap. He lays one hand on her ankle before turning the car on. He turns his head to look at me.

"Ready?" He whispers and I nod, trying not to wake the girls.

•••••••